


Welcome to Existence

by WinchesterDaeva, xtremeroswellian



Series: Highway From Hell [2]
Category: Smallville, Supernatural
Genre: Expanding their circle of friends, F/M, Gen, Justice League of America - Freeform, recruiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:56:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23884861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinchesterDaeva/pseuds/WinchesterDaeva, https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtremeroswellian/pseuds/xtremeroswellian
Summary: "Ma'am, did you by chance order coffee and a bagel?" One of the men said, sitting down across from her.She blinked in surprise at the voice and looked up to see Dean Winchester seated on the opposite side of her desk. She looked from him to Sam and back again, more than a tad caught off guard. "I didn't expect to see you guys here."He shrugged. "We decided to check it out."
Relationships: Chloe Sullivan & Dean Winchester, Chloe Sullivan & Sam Winchester, Sam Winchester & Dean Winchester
Series: Highway From Hell [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1721413





	1. Chapter 1

Chloe Sullivan made her way through the basement of the Daily Planet, carrying a manila folder in her hands. She was so used to the crowd and the noise level that neither bothered her. She headed toward her desk, setting the folder down on top of it and sliding into her computer chair, logging on and picking up her mug of coffee.

Grimacing at the cool temperature, she set it down once more, then signed onto the computer. She bit her lower lip, focusing intently on the article she'd been working on for a week now, not even noticing as two familiar figures headed over toward her.

"Ma'am, did you by chance order coffee and a bagel?" One of the men said, sitting down across from her.

She blinked in surprise at the voice and looked up to see Dean Winchester seated on the opposite side of her desk. She looked from him to Sam and back again, more than a tad caught off guard. "I didn't expect to see you guys here."

He shrugged. "We decided to check it out."

She looked over to where he'd set a fresh cup of coffee and a bagel for her and a smile touched her lips. "Well...if that coffee's hot, I'm giving you the official Daily Planet tour."

"Guess we're getting a tour."

Chloe picked up the cup and took a sip, closing her eyes for a moment. "Definitely."

Dean smiled slightly. "Welcome."

She met his eyes and smiled back faintly, standing up. "I didn't really figure I'd ever see you guys again," she admitted.

"Well, we owed you."

Her smile faded a little and she shook her head. "No, you don't," she said quietly.

"Trust me," he stood. "We really do."

She held onto her coffee cup, dropping her gaze from his. "I'll give you the tour and then I'll call the League to let them know you're here to meet them."

"Sam already did that. They know we're here...but that's about it."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "They knew you were coming?"

"Yeah. Didn't anyone tell you?" Sam asked, frowning.

Dean frowned as well. "We called them three days ago."

Chloe looked uneasy, but shrugged it off. "I've been out of the loop." Not offering anything else by way of an explanation, she gave them a quick tour of the Daily Planet.

"Big building," Dean commented when the tour was finished.

"One of the biggest newspaper offices in the country," she said quietly.

"Looks like it."

She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and pulled out her cell phone. "I'm just gonna...give them a call. See if there's someplace they'd like to meet."

He nodded. "Sounds good."

She walked away a few feet and pressed the phone to her ear.

"Queen here."

"It's me."

"Hey, what's going on?"

She heard the concern in his voice and glanced back at the brothers who stood a few feet away. "They're here. Thought you'd like to know."

He cursed softly. "I was going to tell you they were coming--"

"I know. I've been swamped with stuff here at the Planet," she lied.

He sighed. "Right."

"So I've given them the official DP tour. Where do you want to meet them? My place?"

"If you don't mind."

"No, that's fine. I've still got an hour left of my shift here, though. Do you want me to send them on over or would you rather wait?"

"No, we can wait for you to get off. You should be there."

"Okay. We'll meet you there at 9:30."

"Sounds good."

She hesitated a moment. "Who all's going to be there?"

"Everyone. They all know these two are coming."

Chloe tensed a little, but reminded herself that it wasn't really news. "All right. See you soon." She hung up the phone.

"What's the plan?" Dean asked, walking over to her.

She turned to face him. "Rendaveuz at my place, 9:30." She glanced over at Sam. "You guys hungry?"

Sam shrugged. "I could go for some food."

"I'd come with, but...I've still got an hour of work ahead. There's a great little place across the street called the Sundown," she told them, glancing up at Dean.

He nodded. "We'll meet you there when you get off."

"Okay. Have a nice dinner. And...thanks for the coffee," she said, holding up the now-empty cup.

"No problem. Figured you'd need it."

She caught his eyes and smiled a little, watching them head away.

"Wow. I didn't expect that to go as well as it did," Dean murmured as they walked toward the elevator.

"Kinda weird no one told her we were coming."

"Yeah. You'd think since they sent her for us..."

"Right." Sam frowned and pressed the button for the main floor.

Dean shook his head. "Weird."

* * *

An hour and a half later, Chloe led them up the stairs to her apartment on the third floor. She'd seen Oliver's motorcycle in the parking lot, so she knew the others were already there, as well, and didn't bother pulling out her keys. She simply offered the Winchester's a smile and opened the front door.

Dean was shocked to see the men already in there. "Gee, I feel late."

She smiled faintly and leaned back against the wall.

"Oliver Queen," the blonde said, holding his hand out to Dean.

He took it and shook his hand. "Dean Winchester, this is my brother, Sam."

Sam nodded. "Hi."

"Nice to meet you both." He smiled and shook Sam's hand, then motioned to the others. "I believe you've met Bart, already?"

"Yeah. He vanished into thin air," Dean gazed at the younger man.

"Not exactly." Bart grinned. "I just moved so fast you didn't see me leave."

"Same diff."

He shrugged, still grinning, and flickered his gaze to Chloe.

"And this is Victor." Oliver introduced, nodding toward the young man. "And A.C."

Dean shook the men's hands, Sam following suit. "So I'm guessing all of you have some sort of power."

At that moment the door swung open again. "Sorry I'm late." A man dressed in a blue suit with a red cape suddenly appeared. "Bruce is running late, too."

Oliver nodded slightly. "Dean, Sam, this is..."

"Clark Kent." He turned and shook their hands.

"A.K.A. Superman?" Dean gazed up at the taller man. "Wow. Meeting the Big Blue himself."

He smiled a bit, glancing around. "We've heard a lot about you two. Glad you could make it."

He ran a hand over his head awkwardly. "Er, yeah, our pleasure."

"And ours." Oliver smiled and motioned to the couch and chairs. "Why don't we all sit down?" he suggested.

Sensing Dean's growing discomfort, Sam took the lead over to the couch and sitting down, his brother followed quickly after.

Everyone else sat down, as well. Except Chloe, who remained by the door.

"So everyone here is part of the Justice League," Oliver began, glancing around at his friends. "And a couple who haven't made it yet. Bruce Wayne, and Dinah Lance. Not sure Dinah's going to make it. Apparently something came up in Star City."

"She need backup?" Clark asked with a hint of worry.

"She's got it covered. She'll let us know if she needs us."

Sam leaned forward. "So this league of superheroes...wants my brother and me to join up with their team? Why?"

"Have you heard of a man named Lex Luthor?" Clark asked quietly.

He nodded. "Yeah. Big business guru that's ruthless."

Bart nodded, as well. "His latest project involves using demons."

"You're telling me a bunch of superheroes can't handle some demons?" Dean spoke up, looking around.

"The problem is trying not to kill the humans being possessed by the demons," Victor explained.

"Not to mention trying to keep human crime rate as low as possible," A.C. added.

"I hate to tell you this, but demons tend to ride humans hard and then leave them high and dry," Dean turned his gaze to Victor. "It's almost a guarantee that any exorcism you perform will leave the host dead."

"But not always, right?" Bart spoke up. "Once in awhile one lives."

"That once is usually next to none. Trust me."

"One is always worth it," Clark said quietly.

Dean's eyes grew dark. "I beg to differ on that."

Sam spoke up before Dean could go further. "You guys could easily look up the exorcisms and perform them yourselves. So why do you need us?"

Oliver shot a pleading look over at Chloe, who sighed softly and pushed herself away from the wall, moving to sit down across from the brothers. "Because it's not just about Lex building a demon army. Some of us have been dealing with weird stuff for a long time, but...not evil spirits and not poltergeists and demons and witches and spells. There just aren't enough of us to go around." Her voice was soft.

"Basically, you want us to be your guard dogs against these things."

"Dean," Sam gave him a look.

She flinched a little, withdrawing.

"Not exactly. We want you to share your experience with us. The more of us there are out there fighting evil--all the different types of evil--the more good we can do. The more lives we can save," Oliver said, glancing between them.

Dean stood. "I don't need this 'we all need to fight for the greater good of man!' speech. You vigilante types think you can save everyone if you get the right people involved. Well I have news for you. You can't save everyone." He walked to the door and opened it. "Thanks, but no. Sam, I'm going to go find a bar."

Sam winced when the door slammed shut, then turned to the others. "God, sorry."

The members of the Justice League sat in stunned silence for a long moment, with the exception of Chloe, who simply looked weary.

"Think he'll reconsider?" Bart joked.

Sam stared at him, stunned. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't joke about my brother like that."

"When Bart doesn't know what else to say, he makes stupid jokes," Victor said, shooting the younger man a look.

"Hey." Bart frowned, then looked at Sam. "Sorry."

"It's okay just...Dean's been through a lot."

Chloe lifted her gaze to look at him, her eyes intent, though she remained silent.

"I think you guys are trying to do a really good thing to. Saving people has always been important to us," he took a breath. "I accept your invitation to be a part of the league, but if Dean doesn't, I can't be a part of it without him."

"So what can we do to convince your brother?" Oliver asked seriously.

"I'll talk to him. I don't think he'd listen to you."

He nodded slightly. "All right. Take your time. We don't have to have an answer right away." He rose to his feet.

Sam stood as well. "It was nice to meet you."

Oliver reached out and shook Sam's hand. "Speaking of, where are the two of you staying while you're here in the city?"

He shrugged. "Haven't looked for a cheap motel yet."

"In that case--" He pulled a key out of his back pocket and handed it to Sam. "Penthouse Suite at Queen Hotel and Casino. Since we're the reason you're here, it's on me."

He pushed it away, shaking his head. "We can't accept this."

Oliver smiled a bit. "It's my hotel, Sam. It doesn't cost me anything. Wouldn't dream of handing out charity. I've been told the Winchester's wouldn't go for it." He glanced at Chloe.

He took the key reluctantly. "Thanks."

He nodded and headed for the door, A.C., Bart, and Victor right behind him. "See you around, Sam."

Chloe didn't have to look up to know Clark was looking at her. She stood up. "Have a good night, guys." She followed them toward the door.

"I'll call you when I have an answer," Sam said, following them to the door.

Oliver nodded and disappeared into the hallway.

"Goodnight, Clark." Chloe's voice left no room for discussion.

Sighing softly, he headed out the door, as well, glancing back at her, but when she didn't look up, he headed away.

Sam watched him go, then looked at Chloe. "Thanks for the tour today."

She glanced up, as though surprised he was still there. She smiled a little. "No problem."

"I'll call you, okay?"

"Sure." She hesitated a moment. "Sam?"

He stopped. "Yeah?"

"Is he okay?" she asked quietly, meeting his eyes.

He shook his head. "I don't know."

Chloe gazed at him for a moment, looking unsettled, and like she wanted to say something else, but she restrained herself. "Thanks for at least making the drive and listening."

He studied her face for a moment. "You're welcome. Was there...something else you wanted to talk about?"

She shook her head slowly.

"Okay," he grabbed the door handle. "Well, I'll see you around."

"Goodnight, Sam," she said softly.

"Night."

She watched him go, then shut the door behind him and locked it. Sighing softly, she leaned against it for a long moment, then headed toward the bathroom to take a shower.

** *

It had been over two hours since Sam had last seen Dean, and he had a feeling that his brother was more than trashed at the moment. Sighing, he got out of the chair he was sitting in and began to pace the big expanse of the suite. While he thought, he was surprised to discover that it wasn't exactly Dean that his troubled thoughts were focused on. It was Chloe. Getting his cell phone out of his pocket, he dialed her number and waited for an answer.

She answered on the first ring, not looking up from her computer screen to look at the caller ID. "Hello?"

"Hey Chloe, it's Sam."

She immediately stopped what she was doing. "Hey. What's up?"

He sat down on one of the beds in the room. "Not much...I had a feeling and thought I should call.'

Her eyebrows furrowed a little. "A feeling about what?"

He shrugged, mostly to himself. "I noticed you were avoiding Clark like the plague in your apartment."

Chloe winced. "Observant."

"Sorry," he said quietly. "It's a habit."

"It's a good one," she said just as quietly.

"Are...you okay?"

She paused. "Yeah. I think so."

"You sure?" He played with the end of the comforter on the bed.

She didn't answer for a moment. "Do you wanna grab some coffee?"

"Yeah. Definitely," he nodded. "Dean's not going to be back for a while so..."

She drew in a breath. "All right. The Sundown okay with you?"

"Sounds just fine."

"All right. I'll see you in...half hour?"

"Yeah. Half hour."

"See you then." She hung up the telephone and headed to her room to get dressed.

He hung up as well and put the phone back in his pocket. Exiting the room, he began to walk at a fast pace to the coffee store. Since he didn't have the car, he'd have to hurry.

* * *

Though it was a 24 hour diner, the Sundown Cafe was nearly empty when she stepped inside a little while later. The waitress was leaning against the window to the kitchen, talking to the equally-bored looking cook. She gave them a brief nod and moved to the corner booth, taking a seat and watching out the window for Sam.

Sam arrived ten minutes later, slightly out of breath. Looking around the room, he spotted her quickly and slid into the seat across from her.

"You okay?" Concern flickered over her features.

He nodded. "Had to walk. Dean has the Impala."

"Damn, I'm sorry. I should've just come to the hotel."

"It's alright. I think I needed that walk," he gave her a small smile.

She drew in a breath, returning the smile with a faint one of her own. When the waitress paused at their table, they both ordered coffee and watched as she headed away.

Sam took a deep swallow from his cup before saying anything. "You and Clark have a history?"

A wry smile touched her lips, and she thought about making a crack about if he was really a journalist too. Something about Sam made her want to drop the sarcasm. "You could say that."

"That bad, huh?"

"Not all of it, no," she said softly, curling her hands around her mug.

"Oh yeah?" He took another drink.

"We were best friends for twelve and a half years." She shrugged a little.

"Wow. That's a long time."

Chloe nodded in agreement, dropping her gaze to the table.

"But then you became distanced?"

"The opposite actually," she murmured. "We started dating."

He raised his eyebrows. "That's a twist."

"I should've known better." She smiled grimly and took a long drink of her coffee.

"No one ever knows what's going to happen in those situations."

"I did, actually. We'd been through it all before. Never ended well." She drew in a breath and let it out slowly.

He winced. "I'm sorry."

"Just wasn't meant to be." Chloe shrugged a little, not quite meeting his eyes.

"So that's why you've been avoiding him?"

"Not the most mature way to handle things, I'll admit."

He shrugged. "You need your time."

"It's been over a year," she admitted.

"Not all hearts heal at the same rate."

She looked up at him and saw the sadness in his eyes, feeling a certain kinship with Sam that she couldn't explain. "You still miss her," she said very softly.

He blinked. "What?"

Chloe winced and looked down, guilt sweeping over her. "Jessica."

"Oh," his eyes shot to his coffee mug. "You know about that."

"I'm sorry. Sometimes I open my mouth before I think and stupid things come out."

"No, you're fine," he traced the top of the mug. "It's not so bad anymore."

She dared to glance up at him again. "You're a strong person, Sam."

"I guess," he took another drink.

Chloe was silent for a moment, taking another sip of her own coffee.

"You're strong too. I can tell."

She arched an eyebrow. "How?"

He looked up. "Well, you put up with all those guys at once. You're kind of like their den mother. And...you're selfless."

"I don't know about that last part," she murmured.

"You saved me."

Chloe shifted uncomfortably. "You got shot because people were trying to kill me."

"Still, you didn't have to do that."

Nodding a little, she glanced up at him once more. "Just glad I could help."

"Me too," he murmured.

She smiled a bit and they fell into a companionable silence. "I'm guessing you're a night owl, too."

He laughed softly. "Yeah. I am."

"Funny how things that go bump in the night...tend to go...bump in the night."

He raised an eyebrow. "You know you don't have to strain for conversation."

She looked up at him with a wry smile.

He leaned forward. "So what do you know about us?"

She wondered when he'd get around to asking that particular question. "Quite a bit," she admitted softly. "Started when I found out that Dean was on the FBI's most wanted list post-mortem."

"Yeah," he ran a hand through his hair. "We got that one taken care of, thankfully."

"I know." She nodded a little. "It wasn't easy gathering information on the two of you at first."

"That makes me feel better," he grinned.

She couldn't help but grin back. "Took me awhile to put it all together, but when I did..."

"You knew almost everything."

"Not everything, but...the puzzle came together." She glanced up at him. "I wasn't really all that surprised to learn there were more things out there than I originally thought."

"Such as?"

"Demons. Poltergeists. Werewolves."

"Yeah," he chuckled uneasily. "We're not normal."

"Who is?" she said wryly, leaning back in her seat.

"Touche."

Chloe managed a small smile. "It was comforting to know there were people out there trying to keep the rest of us safe from the stuff I used to have nightmares about as a kid."

He picked up his mug and settled into the seat. "Well, someone has to."

She met his eyes and nodded. "Yeah. Someone does."

He hesitated. "About Dean earlier...I'm sorry for the way he acted."

"Don't be. I get what he meant. Can't save everyone." She lowered her gaze to the table. "If the last few years have taught me anything, it's that even if there were a million people in the League...someone would fall through the cracks. No matter how much we fight, the bad that's out there outweighs the good."

He shook his head. "I don't believe that."

"No?" Her voice was quiet.

"No. Just because we can't save everyone doesn't mean we stop trying. There's a lot of good out there," he put his cup back down and leaned forward. "I don't blame Dean for the way he looks at things right now...but I wish he'd see the good again. And you should see it too."

Chloe looked up and met his eyes, saw the sincerity there and leaned in a little as well. "Maybe we will," she said softly.

"I hope so," he whispered.

* * *

It was nearly three hours later when Sam arrived back at the hotel after meeting with Chloe. He was wide awake, wired from the coffee he'd drank. He caught sight of Dean sitting in a recliner in front of the big-screen TV, blank expression on his face. "Hey. When'd you get back?"

"A while ago," he didn't bother to look over.

He stood there for a moment, trying to decide whether or not Dean was trashed.

"I'm not drunk, in case you're wondering," he said flatly.

"You're not?" He was a little surprised and slowly moved to sit down in the chair across from him.

"No."

"Well...that's good."

"Sure."

He was quiet for a moment. "So I just had coffee with Chloe."

"That's nice."

"What happened earlier, Dean?" His voice was quiet.

He shrugged, continuing to stare at the tv.

"Dude, would you talk to me?"

He slid his gaze to Sam. "What more would you like me to say?"

Sam stared at him for a moment. "What's going on with you, Dean? You didn't even let the League finish explaining what they wanted from us before you stormed outta there."

"I've heard it all before, Sam. And so have you. Why are you falling for it this time?" His voice was tired.

"I'm not..." He shook his head. "Their intentions are in the right place. They have the same general goals we do. Would it be so bad to work together?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions, Sammy. You know that."

He flinched at his brother's choice of words. "Is that what this is about?" His voice was quiet.

"They keep saying it's worth it to save at least one person from all of this. They have no idea what those demons do to people's minds."

"So...when Meg possessed me, it would've been better if you'd just let me die?" Sam gazed at him intently.

He sighed. "That's different."

He shook his head a bit. "How so?"

"You don't remember most of what happened," he said quietly. "These demons out now...they're different."

Sam looked down at the floor. "I remember killing that man. I remember almost killing Jo. Almost killing you. And Bobby."

Blinking, Dean turned to him. "How come you never told me?"

He shrugged. "Because it wasn't me, Dean."

"I know that."

He was quiet for a moment. "You know that...whatever happened to you when you were...in hell. I'm here for you." He looked up at him.

"Yeah. I know."

"And if you don't wanna talk to me, then...Bobby. Or Ellen. Someone, Dean."

"What makes you think I need to talk to anyone?" Anger flashed through his eyes.

Sam didn't respond to the anger. "I'm just saying. If and when the time comes that you do."

"I don't need to talk to anyone. I'm fine."

"Okay."

He turned away again. "You should go to sleep."

A short chuckle escaped him. "Yeah...I don't think that's gonna happen anytime soon."

"Too much coffee?" He guessed.

"About three cups too much," Sam admitted.

Standing, Dean began to make his way to his room. "Lay off the stuff, dude."

A faint smile touched his lips. "Night, Dean."

"Night, Sammy."


	2. Chapter 2

"Ugh." Sam laid his head down on the table they were seated at later the next morning.

Dean didn't look up from his menu. "I'm restricting your coffee consumption from now on."

"Thank you."

"Why do you even do that to yourself?"

"Me? Chloe drank five," he defended.

He rolled his eyes and lowered the menu. "So if everyone's smoking weed, you're only gonna take four hits instead of five?"

"Ha ha."

"It's a flawed logic, dude," he put the menu up again and scanned through it.

"So you've never tried to drink someone under the table before?" Sam lifted his head and gave his brother a look.

Dean grinned and put it down. "I pride myself on being able to do that. And besides, I know the hangover remedy."

"For alcohol."

"Yep."

"Totally different."

He snorted. "You're the one who brought it up."

Sam laid his head back down. "If I feel this bad, Chloe must feel a lot worse."

"Doubt it."

He made a face.

"She's a reporter," Dean gave him a pointed look. "They *live* on coffee."

He groaned and slowly lifted his head up, resting it in his hands for a moment, then ordering a glass of orange juice when the waitress paused at their table. When she left once more, he glanced at Dean. "So she knows a lot about us."

Dean folded his arms. "What exactly does she know?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "She knows about Jess. About Mom. About St. Louis...Henrickson. Quite a few details on a lot of the cases we've done the last couple years."

"Impressive. Now we know what we need to cover up."

"She said it took her awhile to put it all together."

"But she still did it."

Sam nodded a little. "But she had an interest in us."

Dean shrugged. "So?"

"Just saying. I don't think too many people pay that much attention." He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "But my guess is she could help us cover those tracks. She's pretty good with a computer."

"Whatever, Sammy."

"What?" He looked confused.

"You're not convincing me of anything, here."

"I don't know what you're talking about." He picked up his glass of OJ and took a drink.

Dean snorted. "I know what you're trying to do."

"Convince me that this league is a good idea. Through Chloe."

He shook his head. "I'm not talking about the League. I'm just talking about Chloe, Dean."

"Sure you are."

"I am," he said seriously, setting his cup down and gazing at his brother. "I don't know any of the people from the League. But...I have spent some time with Chloe." He glanced down at the table.

"And that's fine that you trust her," he leaned forward. "Just be careful."

He nodded a little, hesitating. "Always good to expand the circle of friends right?"

"Yeah," he relented. "It is."

"Maybe you should talk to her."

"Why? That's your area of expertise."

"Yeah, but you've got a good feel for people. See what you think. Be good to have a second opinion."

Shaking his head, Dean smirked at his brother. "The things I do for you." *

Sam suppressed the urge he had to grin. He'd done his part. He had no doubt his brother would end up liking the pretty blonde as much as he did. He just had to sit back and wait.

* * *

It was near two o'clock before Dean got around to making up his mind to himself that he was going to visit Chloe. Now he found himself at her front door. "I can't believe I'm doing this," he muttered under his breath before raising his hand and knocking.

A couple moments later, the door opened and surprise flickered over her face. "Dean. Hi."

"Hey Chloe," he said, shifting uncomfortably.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, worry in her green eyes.

He nodded. "Yeah. Is it alright if I come in?"

"Yeah, of course." Chloe stepped aside to let him in, then slowly shut the door behind him. "You want something to drink?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm good."

"Okay." She leaned against the door for a moment, then motioned to the sofa. "Have a seat."

He nodded a little and walked over to the sofa, sitting down slowly. "Thanks."

"Sure." She sat down across from him.

"So...ah..." He leaned forward and put his arms on his knees. "Sam sent me."

Chloe's eyebrows furrowed. "Okay..."

He let out a breath. "He said he wanted me to talk to you."

That caught her attention and she leaned forward a little. "About what exactly?"

"About expanding our circle of friends," he looked around the room, avoiding her gaze. "Apparently he needed a second opinion on if you could be trusted."

A flash of hurt flickered over her features. She'd thought she and Sam had connected the night before, had forged a tentative friendship. Maybe she'd been mistaken. "I see," she said softly.

He bit his lip. "In all honestly, I know he trusts you."

"He does?"

He nodded. "He does. He just wanted to get me over here to talk."

"I'm not sure I understand," she said softly, shaking her head.

"Then we're on the same boat," he smiled slightly.

A faint smile touched her lips, as well. Then it faded as she drew in a breath. "Dean...about...the stuff that happened back in Illinois--"

"Which part?" He raised an eyebrow.

She grimaced. "Well, might as well start with the beginning, right?"

He shrugged. "The first part was all routine for us. Then you saving my brother...I'm just grateful for that."

"Well...it was pretty much my fault he got shot in the first place," she said quietly.

"But you saved him."

"Yeah."

"That's all that sticks out in my mind."

Chloe looked up at him for a moment, silent. "Can I ask you something?"

Dean hesitated, not sure that he wanted to know the question. "Yeah, sure."

"When Sam was hurt...you said something." She bit her lip uncertainly. "That you hadn't gone to hell for it to end like that."

"Oh," he looked down at his hands. "It's...complicated."

"I'm sure it is," she said softly, looking down at the floor.

He let out a breath. "I really was in hell."

Chloe looked at him again. "How?" Her voice was very soft.

"I made a deal."

Her eyebrows furrowed and she waited.

Licking his lips, he stood and began pacing. "Two years ago, Sam was kidnapped by a demon. Turns out he was taken to South Dakota. So I headed that way. When I got there, I found Sam and he saw me and he looked pretty good. Then this guy suddenly showed up behind him...and...killed him."

Her face drained of all color and she swallowed hard, taking in the information and trying to absorb it as he paced her apartment.

"Guess your research didn't find that one," he said quietly.

"No," she whispered, shutting her eyes for a moment.

"Well, after that happened, I found a way to bring him back. But the demon only gave me a year. And hell, as long as Sam got to live, I took it."

Chloe swallowed hard, staring at her hands as she listened to him fill her in on what she didn't know.

"Then Sam found out and vowed he'd save me," he stopped pacing and looked at her. "Didn't happen in time."

"So you went to hell," she said quietly.

"Bingo."

Her eyes were sad. She wanted to say she was sorry, but there weren't enough apologies in the world to make it better. "But you got out."

"Yeah. I wouldn't be standing here if it didn't happen."

"How?" She shook her head a little.

"You'll have to ask Sam. I still don't know how."

She rose to her feet slowly, gazing at him. "I wish I knew what to say. I can't imagine...what it must have been like." *

His eyes darkened briefly. Blinking, the darkness went away as quick as it had come. "Not many can."

"Thank you for...trusting me with that."

"No problem," he said quietly.

For a moment they stood together in silence, simply gazing at one another. "I want you to know that...even if you guys don't join the League...I hope we can at least be friends. The three of us, I mean." Her voice was hesitant. It had been a long time since she'd offered her friendship to someone new.

At the invitation, something inside Dean told him he could trust her--with anything. Gazing into her eyes told him volumes about her, and somehow, he saw himself. "I think...I'd like that."

A soft, genuine smile spread across her face.


	3. Chapter 3

After staying with Chloe the rest of the day, Dean left her apartment and went back to the hotel. He wasn't surprised when he opened the door and found Sam sitting on the sofa, his gaze now on the door.

Sam raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"You're too prying."

"Dude, I didn't even say anything."

He snorted. "You don't think I know what you want."

He shrugged a little and glanced at the TV for a moment. Then he looked at Dean again. "All right. Did you talk to Chloe or not?"

"Yeah, I did."

"And...?" He encouraged.

"Dude," he walked over and sat down on the couch as well. "We talked."

"Talked or yelled?"

"Talked."

Sam smiled a little. "Well, that's good. Right?"

"Yeah," he folded his arms and looked at the tv.

He sighed and picked up the remote, turning the picture off.

Dean glared. "Dude."

Sam raised his eyebrows once more.

He sighed. "We're friends."

A grin broke over Sam's face. "Seriously?"

Rolling his eyes at the grin, he nodded. "Yes, Sam. I'm serious."

"Cool," he said, trying to sound nonchalant.

He snorted. "I know you're excited."

Sam shrugged, still grinning as he turned the television back on once more.

"You're weird."

"So I've been told."

"Still doesn't mean that I'm joining the league," Dean reminded him.

"Never had anything to do with that in the first place," Sam said quietly, glancing at him sideways.

"Right," his tone was disbelieving.

He looked at him. "It didn't. Look...I just think Chloe's a good person. I think she's someone we can trust."

"Yeah, you were right about that," he conceded.

Surprise flickered over Sam's face. "I was?"

"Are you deaf?"

"Sorry, I just figured I heard you wrong. You did just admit I was *right* about something."

"Yeah well, don't get used to it," he leaned over and hit his brother.

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

"You hungry?" He stood up.

He shook his head. "I'm good."

"Well, then come and keep me company while I eat." He headed for the door.

Grumbling, Dean stood. "You're such a girl."

Sam smirked as he opened the door and stepped into the hall. "So...have you ever been just friends with a girl before?"

"That...is none of your business," he closed the door behind them.

"I didn't think so."

"You're pushing it."

"Noted."

* * *

Chloe stared at her reflection in the mirror, taken aback by how different she looked. It was a wonder what makeup could do--make you look like a movie star, or in her case--a drug addict. Her face looked deathly pale, her eyes sunken in. Her hair was pulled haphazardly into a messy ponytail.

She'd pulled a gray sweatshirt over her t-shirt, her jeans filled with little rips and holes. "I really look the part," she mumbled, letting out a nervous breath as she picked the small flowered pin off her bathroom sink and attached it to her sweatshirt. "This is my brain on drugs." She grimaced at her appearance, then headed out of the room and down the hall. The deal was going down in less than an hour. She had to get moving.

* * *

"So, uh, who recommended this restaraunt again?" Dean asked, looking around the shady people as he moved the Impala slowly through the neighborhood.

"I read it in a brochure," he admitted, grimacing a little.

"I'm so never letting you choose a place out of a brochure again."

"We haven't even eaten yet," Sam pointed out.

"It's the part of town, Sammy."

"Since when does that bother you?"

"Have to take care of my baby."

Sam rolled his eyes and started to retort when a pedestrian crossed the road in front of them, head down and hands tucked in her pockets. He stared. "Dean?"

He put on the breaks. "Yeah?"

"Is that...?" He nodded toward the figure.

Dean squinted at the figure. "No way."

"Then she has a twin sister with questionable moral values."

"Something isn't right about this," he murmured, pulling the Impala to the side of the road and cutting the engine.

Sam restrained himself from making a sarcastic comment as they watched her head down the alley and disappear.

Dean stepped out of the car slowly and began to follow her path.

Sam had a sinking feeling as he climbed out of the passenger seat, making sure his gun was tucked into the back of his jeans.

Moving silently through the alley, he looked around for any sign of her. When he didn't find her still walking, he began to look for doors.

Sam followed him, casting a nervous glance behind them, but not seeing anyone. What the hell is going on? he wondered.


	4. Chapter 4

Suicide Slums had always lived up to its name and as Chloe stepped into the warehouse, she knew it would that night, too. She glanced around at the people slumped on the floor, some sleeping, some just staring into space and a spear of pity tweaked her heart.

She couldn't imagine living the way they did. The poverty they lived in. The things they probably did to survive. It made her stomach turn to think about.

She swallowed hard, her heart speeding up as she spotted her targets engaged in a heated exchange with one another. A third man joined them a moment later, their voices raising. For one moment the urge to turn around and run back out was almost overwhelming. But she wasn't going to do that.

Chloe always did her part. And she didn't back down. Ever.

Moving toward them, she shivered, fidgeting the way she'd seen people in withdrawal do and hoping it was convincing enough. Because if it wasn't, she was in big trouble.

The men's conversations ceased as she neared and one of the men looked up. "Well hello, pretty lady."

Her eyes darted around nervously, and she was careful not to focus on any of them too long. The tiny camera in her pin would get the only images she needed. "I need something." Her voice was strained. "I heard I could get it here."

The second man nodded and spoke up. "It depends on what you want."

"Anything," she said, her hands shaking. "I have money. I just...something to take the edge off."

The men shared a look, then the third dug in his pockets. "Fresh glass. Arrived this morning."

"How much?"

"Six hundred for an ounce."

"I only have three hundred." She gave him a pained expression. "But I can get the rest to you by morning."

"No can do," he shook his head. "But, I do have some crank..."

She pulled the wad of bills from her jeans pocket. "I'll take it."

"An eight ball do ya?"

Chloe nodded quickly, not noticing one of the other men eyeing her pin.

He held out his hand. "Three hundred."

She stuffed the money into his hands, shifting from one foot to the other, her breathing a little ragged. She started to chew on her thumbnail.

The second man stepped forward and held out the vial of cocaine. "What's that pin on your shirt?"

She didn't dare look down. "Found it in the trash," she responded, reaching out to take the vial.

"Looks a little new and nice to be trash," he held the vial up.

Chloe felt a cold chill run down her spine. "All right, all right. It's hot," she lied.

The man raised his eyebrow. "Then you won't mind giving it up."

"I already paid," she protested.

"Handler's fee."

Shit. He wasn't going to budge. And she couldn't hand over the pin and risk him seeing the bug. "I'll get what I want somewhere else," she grumbled, turning and starting to head away.

He grabbed her arm tightly. "You're not going anywhere."

Her throat tightened.

Crap.

* * *

"Where the hell did she go?" Sam whispered, following his brother around the corner of the alley.

Dean shook his head, pulling his gun out and keeping it low. "Look for a door."

Nodding, Sam moved away from him and crossed to the other side of the dark alley. He glanced around, hearing a shuffling sound. "You hear that?"

He nodded and moved closer to the noise, discovering a door moments later. "In here."

The hair stood up on the back of his neck as he stepped into the warehouse, following Dean and glancing around at the people--some homeless, some clearly drug addicted--some were both. He winced a little, wondering what on earth Chloe Sullivan would be doing in a place like this. He glanced up, spotting four figures across the room, one much smaller than the other three and he sucked in a breath.*

Using the distraction to his advantage, Dean moved silently across the room, remaining in the shadows, gun aimed carefully.

Sam followed, staying completely silent even as he watched the man's grip on Chloe's arm tighten.

* * *

"Hey, let go of me." She tried to jerk away from him, realizing just how deeply stupid she'd been to come here by herself with no backup. No one even knew where she was. She wasn't going to call the JLA til she'd made the buy and gotten out. Hindsight was a bitch.

"Give up the pin and I will," he growled.

"Fine!" She grabbed the pin off her sweatshirt, ripping the material and throwing it hard onto the floor. "Take it!"

The first man picked it up and examined it. "You bitch. You're a cop!"

She took a step away from him, heart pounding in her chest. The words royally screwed popped into her head.

Third man's face contorted into fury and he pulled his gun out. "Never trust a blonde bitch."

"Don't move," a low voice growled from behind him.

"I second that," another low voice sounded out.

The men turned, looking for the source.

Chloe froze, recognizing the voices almost immediately. Then her eyebrows furrowed. How the hell had they known where she was?

"You know," Dean stepped out of the shadows, gun down at his side. "A single-handed drug bust isn't the smartest thing. The least you could do was have backup."

"Later," Sam said, shooting him a look, keeping his gun trained on the drug dealer with the gun.

Dean smirked and turned to the three. "And you guys, drug lords, should know better than to deal in a warehouse."

The first man pulled a gun and cocked it. "Watch your mouth."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Chloe leveled her own gun at his head, eyes dark with anger.

"I'd listen to her, personally. She's pretty scary." Dean commented, casually lifting his own weapon.

A tiny smile tugged at her lips despite the seriousness of the situation.

"You're under arrest," Sam announced.

"Like hell," one man snarled, putting pressure on the trigger. Before he could pull it, a shot rang out and he hit the floor, dead.

"No one turns a pistol on my brother," Dean growled.

Sam turned his head a little to stare at Dean in shock.

"You killed him!" one of the other men said, face paling.

"Yeah," he cocked his gun again and turned it on him. "I can do it again too, if you'd like."

The man quickly put his hands in the air, and so did his accomplice.

"Good choice," Chloe said darkly, reaching into her pocket and pulling her phone out.

He smirked. "I doubt you boys are ever going to see the light of day again."

Sam swallowed hard and looked down at the dead man on the floor.

"Thanks, Arrow," she said into her phone a few moments later. "Backup's on the way."

"Good," he lowered his gun once more.

Within six minutes, the entire JLA flooded the warehouse, taking the two remaining men into custody. Oliver's gaze swept from the dead man on the floor to the Winchesters, then to Chloe. "What happened here?"

"It was self-defense," she said, lifting her chin.

Dean nodded. "Honest. That's all it was."

"We'll deal with it," he said, nodding slightly and barking a string of orders into his headset. "Good work." He headed away.

Chloe felt someone else's gaze on her and she turned to see Clark standing a few feet away, a look of disbelief on his face. She met his eyes and held the gaze, her expression one of cool neutrality.

He opened his mouth to say something, but then shut it, shaking his head.

She lifted her chin once more and turned her back to him, facing Sam and Dean once more. "I don't know how you found me, but...thanks." Her voice was quiet.

"We were in the neighborhood," Dean shrugged. "No problem."

Sam started to ask her what she'd been thinking when he realized Clark was still standing there. He wasn't about to say anything to her in front of the man who'd broken her heart. "Come on. Why don't we all get some dinner?"

"Yeah...and you can recommend it since Sam here only reads brochures."

He glowered at his brother. "Jerk."

Dean smirked. "Not my fault at all, bitch. This lies on your shoulders."

"Dare I ask where you guys were going to eat in Suicide Slums?"

"That what they call this place?" Sam made a face.

"Fitting," Dean mumbled.

"Pretty much," Chloe agreed, leading the way toward the exit.

"We're talking once we sit down again, you know," he informed her, glancing back at Sam and then at her again.

His words were quiet and she glanced at him sideways. "Yeah. I figured."

* * *

Other than her verbal directions, the three of them were silent on the drive to Number One Kitchen, one of Chloe's favorite Chinese restaurants. As they were seated, Chloe excused herself and headed to the restroom, more than eager to wash off the beyond-the-pale makeup she'd dawned for the undercover work.

She drew in a breath and let it out slowly as she washed it all off, and she was able to recognize herself once more. Feeling a little uneasy, she headed back to the table, not looking at either of the two men who'd saved her life.

Dean leaned forward once she sat down again. "What were you thinking?"

Sam winced a little at Dean's tone. He'd been on the receiving end of that 'are you crazy you could have died' over-protective speech from his brother on numerous occasions.

"I was thinking I needed to do my part," she answered.

"Doing your part doesn't mean you go in without backup," he shook his head. "If anything, you're making the situation that much worse. What if you'd been killed? No one would know where to look for you."

"I wasn't planning to try and take them down myself," she said, shifting a little.

"Uh huh. Which is why you went in alone. Right."

She gave him a look. "I was wearing a bug. All I was going to do was make the buy and call Oliver."

He raised an eyebrow. "Were you?"

"Yes. I may be a little reckless sometimes, Dean, but I'm not stupid.*" *

"Oh I don't know, I'd call that move back there pretty stupid*," he shot back. *

Sam shot him a look. "So what was the plan, Chloe?" he asked, his voice softer than Dean's.

She rolled her eyes at the obvious 'good cop, bad cop' routine they had going. "I just told you. I was going to make the buy and get the hell out of there. I was going to call Oliver from the safety of my car."

"Sam," Dean didn't look at his brother, gaze still firmly fixed upon her. "Tell me, because you know me and my memory. What's the first rule about going into a situation like Chloe's?"

"Plan A never works the way you plan for it to. Always have a Plan B," he said automatically.

He nodded. "And what does Plan B always consist of?"

"Knowing when you're likely to need help."

"Right. So...if Chloe didn't do any of that...I would consider her move..."

"Dangerous," he said, giving him a warning look.

"And incredibly, undeniably--"

"Dean."

"Just trying to prove a point here, Sammy."

"You did."

Chloe's expression was neutral. Then she dropped her gaze to the table for a moment. "I know. It wasn't a smart move," she admitted.

"So how about you try not to repeat that move?" Dean's voice softened.

She drew in a breath and looked up at him. "I'll do my best. But...I'd be lying if I said this was the first time I got in over my head. I'm a trouble magnet."

He smirked. "Something you and Sam have very much in common."

Sam snorted. "Look who's talking."

"Careful," he warned, shooting his brother a look.

He raised his eyebrows. "Don't let him fool you. He gets into just as much trouble as I do."

A faint smirk tugged at her lips and she gazed across the table at Dean. "Never would've guessed," she said wryly.

"Hey, that one little stint of mine was because I was saving your ass, need I remind you," he pointed out.

"Which stint? Off the top of my head I can think of about a hundred," Sam said, smirk widening.

“Lets see...my most recent one."

Immediately the smirk faded from Sam's face, his eyes flashing hurt. "I'm gonna get some air," he said quietly, sliding out of the booth and heading out the nearest exit.

Dean sighed. "Sam!"

Chloe bit her lower lip.

"Way to go, Winchester," he grumbled. "Excuse me, Chloe."

"Sure thing," she said softly, watching him go.

Once outside, he quickly spotted his brother leaning against the wall, his head bowed. "Sam."

"Don't," he said quietly.

"You know I didn't mean it in a bad way," he said quietly.

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "I just...I don't think that's something to joke about, Dean."

"But Sam, I'm okay. It happened in the past and you brought me back. Everything's okay again."

He turned his head to look at his brother. "You were gone for six months. Six months, Dean. It's not okay."

"Would you like me to translate that to hell time? Because trust me, Sam. Six months is nothing. In my mind, six months is okay."

He blanched a little.

His expression sent a jolt of guilt through Dean. "Sam, come on. Lets...just go back inside."

"Sure," he murmured, not looking at his brother.

Sighing, Dean turned and walked back inside, vowing never to tell Sam another thing about hell. If mentioning just that affected his brother so deeply, then he didn't want to reveal anymore. That information might just kill him.

* * *

When they returned to Chloe's apartment, Dean sent Sam back to the hotel room with the Impala. Telling him he'd take a cab in a little. Once his brother was gone, Dean turned back to Chloe. "Can we talk?"

"Yeah, sure." She nodded a little and pulled her keys out of her pocket. "Come on up."

He smiled slightly. "Thanks."

She smiled back a bit and unlocked the door to the apartment building, and led him up three flights of stairs where she unlocked the door to her own apartment.

He stepped inside after she unlocked the door and put his hands in his pockets, waiting for her.

She followed him, shutting the door quietly and turning the lock. "Want something to drink?"

He nodded. "Sure."

"Coffee, soda, water or wine cooler?" she asked, heading into the kitchen.

He raised an eyebrow. "What? No beer?"

She smirked a little. "I don't drink the stuff. Sorry."

"I'll take coffee, then."

"How do you take it?"

"Black."

Nodding, she set to work and produced two mugs of hot coffee within a few minutes, handing one over to him.

He took it gratefully. "Thanks."

“No problem." She motioned to the sofa and moved to sit at one end of it.

He took a seat, putting his mug down on the end table.

"So what's up?" Chloe asked softly, gazing at him.

He looked down. "I've been doing some thinking."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Okay."

He took a breath. "I'll join the JLA."

She stared at him, surprise clear on her features. "What made you change your mind?"

"The whole warehouse thing," he shrugged. "I think I realized that I miss doing that kind of stuff."

She was quiet for a moment. "Saving damsels in distress?" she teased gently.

He laughed softly. "Something like that."

She smiled, her eyes bright. He had a nice laugh. She hoped to hear more of it in the future.

"About earlier..." He shifted.

She raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry I got into lecture mode like that."

Chloe was silent for a moment. "Well, fair warning. I occasionally hit that mode, too."

"Warning noted."

She smiled faintly and hesitantly reached out to touch his arm.

He looked down at her hand and slid closer to her, until it touched his arm.

"Welcome to the team," she said softly.

"I think I like the welcome wagon."


End file.
